Stale Solbakken: Wolves must combat the Championship ‘spoilers’

Stale Solbakken today warned Wolves to beware the Championship ‘spoilers’ as he plotted a return to winning ways at Molineux.

Wolves are back at Molineux for a Saturday tea-time derby against Birmingham seeking their first home win in seven games, having suffered alarming fade-outs in four of the last five matches in front of their own fans.

Solbakken believes because his side are playing more football, they have become targets for some cynical tactics from visiting teams.

“I think the opposition now has greater respect for Wolverhampton and maybe puts 11 men behind the ball,” said Solbakken. “If you’ve seen the last two home games, it’s dreadful the amount of time the opposition keeper holds onto the ball.

“Suddenly we have to create something in a different way because the opposition has tried to frustrate us.

“We saw Nottingham Forest’s tactics – and I’m not criticising them or Millwall because they both beat us – but Forest started every attack in the first 60 or 70 minutes by trying to destroy Kevin Foley in the air and playing from there.

“Wherever the ball was on the pitch, they tried the diagonal ball – bang, and played from there.

“In the Millwall game, their keeper kept the ball for as long as he could, and then hit it long.

“He spent so long on the ball, the referee should have given him a yellow card early on to put a stop to it.”

Meanwhile, Tongo Doumbia was set to return from his special training regime in France today – and go straight into contention for Saturday’s derby clash with Blues.